Morning all.
Twenty years ago, Dennis Bergkamp arrived at Arsenal FC. Eleven years later he retired with three Premier League title medals and four FA Cups. What a player he was eh, and he was ours for the best years of his career.
Yesterday reports from Turkey suggested David Ospina was on his way to Fenerbache for £3.9 million. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen but if Petr Cech is on his way in, one of Ospina, Martinez or Szczesny has to leave. A ‘short’ while ago, I believed it would be our Polish keeper who would be the fall guy should any new keeper be signed but perhaps that’s not to be the case.
I’m not surprised though, in fact I’m not sure either of our current top two keepers have performed to a standard which would win us the league, not if either were truly tested by a really strong attacking force.
Watching the FA Cup final, I did at times wonder if David Ospina would have been able to nullify Benteke the way Szczesny did? My answer was no, what’s yours?
Don’t get me wrong, as said above, Szczesny is not the best keeper out there in football and his attitude appears to be all wrong but he’s young, he can still learn and the key to him staying if he does, is he’s ‘home grown’. Well, at least until Greg Dyke pushes through that crazy new rule. If he does of course.
Same with Damien Martinez, he’s ‘home grown’ as the rules stand today.
David Ospina is not. Neither of course is Petr Cech but perhaps Arsene Wenger wouldn’t risk losing a ‘home grown’ keeper for a ‘non home grown’ one.
As much as I believe Ospina brought a lot of stability to the defence, I also believe that the defence and midfield brought stability to the way we defended. Apart from Swansea at home of course, that single goal we conceded was sloppy and against Chelsea, had their lot had their shooting boots on, we’d have lost.
I don’t want to sound like I’m battering Ospina just because he might be on his way, but some of his performances for both club and country of late have been a little bit on the ‘dodgy’ side and had Szczesny made them, he’d have been lambasted.
Clearly Arsene Wenger was pushed into signing a keeper last summer because of the departure of Fabianski but I do wonder if he knew that Cech might very well be available this summer so instead of spending big which he seldom does for defensive players, he brought in Ospina as a stop gap.
Yes, I could be very wrong but regardless of how little truth is in the stuff that’s reported in the newspapers, it gets me thinking…..
Another ‘out’ is Arsenal goalkeeper coach Tony Roberts, he’s heading off to Swansea apparently and good, in fact perhaps he should take the other goalkeeping coaches with him because then, Szczesny might just improve.
Maybe Petr Cech’s long term coach Christophe Lollichon will arrive at Arsenal as the pair have a very close bond and working relationship.
All speculation – always is this time of year..
Here’s more of it:
Petr Cech has been told that he will take the number one shirt if/when he arrives at Arsenal.
Sergio Aguero vows to stay at Man City as he believes all his dreams can be filled there. That of course means Karim Benzema may have to remain at Real Madrid. Ah, but not according to The Star, they report we are clear to sign the Frenchman as Real Madrid need to sell him in order to make their own signings.
So there you go, three brand new shiny players should become Arsenal players real soon….
On the other hand….
Have a great Friday guys….
Whilst this all would be nice, I still believe we should be making sure that Chelski and Liverpool do not snap up the UK youngsters like Gomez…..it wasbad enuh when we see an AFC supporter like Smalling end up at Man U, and young Jenks , who has never let us down, on permanent loan.
Dippers have a medical planned for Gomez I think…
Fingers crossed Jenks goes nowhere other than on a loan…
The rumours etc in the post are always tongue in cheek.
Catch up in a bit…
Morning All,
Can we say done deal..Prehaps not..
As wengers says..It takes 3 to decide these days.
Or is wenger forgetting the agents and now we have
The Coaches included in Goalkeeper deals.
Reminds me of a joke a geezer told me about Keepers a
100 years ago.
Gary Sprake the old Leeds goalkeeper was walking along the street one day when he heard screams from a nearby building. He looked up to see smoke billowing from a fourth-floor window and a woman leaning out holding a baby.
“Help! Help! ” screamed the woman, “I need someone to catch my baby! ”
A crowd of onlookers had gathered, but none was confident about catching a baby dropped from such a great height. then the goalkeeper, stepped forward.
“I’m a professional goalkeeper I play for Leeds United, ”
“I’m renowned for my safe hands.
Drop the baby and I will catch it. For me, it will be just like catching a ball. ”
The woman agreed: “Ok, then. When I drop my baby, treat it as if you were catching a ball. ”
On a count of three, the woman dropped the baby. Everyone held their breath as the goalkeeper lined himself up to catch it. There was a huge sigh of relief, followed by wild cheering as Sprake caught the baby safely in his arms.
Then he bounced it 3 times on the pavement.
Fred 🙂
Ha ha Fred….
Getting bored with the Cech stuff now, just announce he’s ours Arsenal… 😉
The best way is to send Szczesny on loan and retain Ospina as No Two keeper.
Morning guys…Fred that was classic 😀 thanks for the laughs. Lol Howdy rico told you we ll get cech 😀 my sauce is never wrong :grin :
Hi goonie, did you tell me we’d get Cech, I don’t recall that… lol
After cech it’s vidal then king kong and my sauce also believes we ll put in a bid for ribery too. Arsene has always rated him 😀 it’s going to be a great summer guys. Wait for it.
Only getting bored now Rico your tolerance for the transfer merry go round is much higher than mine. 😉
Gee rico you just know how to kill a man’s MOJO 😀
Ha ha Joe, only with Cech as it’s dragging on… lol
Good Morning to The Lady f the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
Fred – Good one! That’s just what we need during the transfer window, a little comedic relief to take our minds off the glacial pace of the club’s trades.
Douglas, maybe AW has more faith in Ches and Martinez…
Oh, it,ll be worth the wait Rico, for who i still believe is 1 of the top 5 stoppers in the world, I would be sad to see Ospina go,not only because my son luvs him, but I think he,s the more reliable of the 2, but heh, all should be revealed hopefully soon enough,another report this morning saying were in negotiations with Sven Bender, My head is dizzy.
I do goonie… lol
Morning Cg..
We get all those players Goonster we are winning the PL next season.
I liked the story doing the rounds weeks ago we buy Čech keep Ospina and send Szc out on loan with Southampton.
Sure will Dublin, to get Cech will seriously improve us imo..
Sven Bender talks eh, not Lars… 😉
Stan – Ribery? I’m sure even Arsene believes he’s past his sell by date. The rest possibly, but we’re more likely to buy Pogba than Ribery and Pogba is a very long shot at best.
Morning. Whats happened to our ‘new’ signing Diaby! All gone quiet, pay as you play, or anyone else taking a punt?
Lets get this over with and sign up the best drummer in the Premier division.
Ribery is a bit ugly for Arsenal?
Off again, lata’s…
Happy Dennis Bergkamp day! I enjoyed this article very much http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/15118/9888906/dennis-bergkamp-20th-anniversary-the-man-who-changed-arsenal
Seems as if Roma have entered the mix now!!!!!!! The mind boggles.
Good Afternoon Lovelies and hunkies.
Good post Rico.
ermmmm sorry…..forgot to put the link……
http://fourfourtweet.co.uk/arsenal-goalkeeper-emerges-as-shock-roma-target/
Afternoon, Rico, All…
Great post.
I would have believed the Turkish story but for the transfer money. Ospina was bought for 10 m pounds, had a good first season while displacing former number 1. Why would his value drop when he still has four years left of his contract? Still an older, even though better, Petr Cech goes for 10 mil…
That’s not the kind of mathematics Le Prof usually gets involved in, is it?
Good one Fred.
William Cavalho was good last night. Definitely the the destroyer type DM folks want…
Afternoon all btw…
Tai…..Ospina was bought for 3million mate. not 10 million.
Think that you are over estimating his fee Tai, wiki states :-On 27 July 2014, Arsenal had confirmed that Ospina had signed for the club on for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £3 million, on a four-year deal.[Which will be more in line with the clubs style of dealing.
Good afternoon all
@ Tai wasn’t Ospina signed for GBP3m?
I personally think Martinez should be moved on. He isn’t good enough. We should keep those two and if we add Cech , even better.
I can’t see Arsenal spending heavily this window, I can see us trimming the squad and playing some of the younger players, ie Bellerin, Akpom, Maitland Niles O Connor. Podolski and Campbell will go, Jenks will go on loan with Sanogo (No one will want to buy him).
Wenger will sign 2/3 players, mostly from Ligue 1 who will be hit and miss.
We really should be looking at a commanding centre half as we only have 3 decent ones. Monreal and Debuchy should be playing there.
As for a decent striker, well , lets hope welbeck and Giroud can get 15 a piece, alongside Alexis. If we get 30 goals between ozil,cazorla,wilshere,walcott and the Ox we should be contenders.
Ginge – Good afternoon. You seem to have watched most, if not all, of the DM candidates we are being linked with; any preferences?
Hi Cg. I didn’t watch much Primeira Liga and eredivisie last season and so out of Ligue 1, Serie A and La liga and possibly Bundesliga I think Gonalons and Krychowak are the only ones I think have improved and would fit into our system.
I also like Witsel and Nainggolan if we are after a purely ‘destroyer’ type DM
Ginge – After reading this, Carvalho seems just what Arsenal need. he’d be a bit on the expensive side though, but at 23 would give us lots of service.
Manchester United and Arsenal target William Carvalho has become an example England’s youngsters can look up to;
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3131154/Manchester-United-Arsenal-target-William-Carvalho-example-England-s-youngsters-look-to.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
Thanks Ginge. It will be interesting to see who Arsenal finally sign.
Off now. Have a great day everyone.
Keep The Faith!
Cg- it always comes down to what or who section of fans want as their DM.
I prefer an Alonso/Arteta/ Pirlo?busquet type DM in the form of the old school no.6 or deep lying playmaker.
The media and ex-players tell us fans we need the old type no.4 or centre half/libero. Oddly they always refer to Vieira who was never a CDM in his life.
Later Cg
Miranda has gone to Internazionale for 15mill. At 31 years.
Hi Ts
Have to disagree with you Vieira oddly referring never a CDM.
Vieira was the most supreme allround midfielder of our time,
ask roy keane who was the hardest midfielder he has faced.
We will never see a player again like him,he defended the middle
as well as attacted from deep,he could do that because of the
engine and skill he had in bucket loads,we went unbeaten because
of him defending the middle and all round the pitch.
So for me no one comes anywhere near Vieira,
and I watch most of his games.
Fred….Viera was an all action b2b midfielder, but not a DM.
Ginge was not wrong when he said that PV04 was never a DM.
Petit and Gilberto were a DM.
Vieira was a b2b who was also an all round footballer. He could play anywhere because he was a footballer, but never a DM destroyer. People mix him up with a DM since he used to break up play further upfield than needed.
your statement…..Vieira was the most supreme allround midfielder of our time,……is a very true statement. However Ginge is right….PV04 was never a DM
Afternoon all..
Re Paddy, I too thought he was a great DM and I use that term because seldom did he lose a midfield battle. But what he had in addition to his defensive skills was two things. 1) A player like Petit alongside him for much of his time with us and 2) The pace, strength and athleticism to cover the pitch.
So many times he broke up an opposition attack just in front of our penalty area and from it, we scored..
Gilberto etc didn’t have that kind of pace so if they bombed forward with the ball, had they lost it, they’d have been up the creek without a paddle but he could get back because of his speed.
What really is a DM?
I think the answer to that is ‘it’s one’s own interpretation’ of the meaning…
All I know is, boy could Paddy defend and defend well……
Agreed fred PV04 was a solid midfielder; I still insist he was never played as a DM or was he a DM as Dev has re-iterated .
Following on from what Rico has said ‘it’s one’s own interpretation’.
In my view, when most British fans say a DM there are implying a ‘holding midfielder’ who has the job of destroying play in midfield in front of the back 4.
PV04 never played DM at both club or international level. With france he played next to Olivier Dacourt or Makelele; before that Deschamp was the main CDM next to Djorkaeff in Jacqui’s team. I even recall Desaille playing as a CDM ahead of a young Vieira on some occasions…
At Milan PV04 was a very attacking CM as Capello who was slated by saying JW was a future CDM also did not trust PV04 in the CDM role as he didn’t consider him as a proper playmaker when the likes of Albertini or Boban was the main CDM.
Also Christian Karembeu was played as a CDM instead of PV04 on occasions…
Vieira could play D/Mid if we needed it,
the proof of the pudding is when we went down to
10,have a look Devil.
Defending a midfield was not Vieira’s only concern during
a game,he wanted to win every game.
We made a big mistake letting him go.
He would have been a great centre/half for us.
Agree there Fred, huge mistake letting him go, and equally big mistake was made letting his coaching skills go to City…
But maybe something happened and he had to go, seems rather odd Henry has always been welcomed back but not Paddy…
Ts, when I say ‘DM’ I simply mean a player who is there to defend when the team needs him and doesn’t forget his defensive duties at the expensive of the result. Whether that’s a HM, a DM or whatever name there is for them, does it really matter…? 😉
Fred 10.18 very funny, you hardly ever see the goalies bounce the ball anymore before booting it up field !
Andrew 11.47, lets be honest, Diaby wouldn’t get a kick in a stampede !
rico 3.48, here, here, there endeth the lesson, well put !
Ts,
Wenger never told Paddy what to do
or Big Tone.
I think Wenger let Paddy go because he was sick and tired of him being linked with Real, Milan, Juve, etc etc at the end of every season, and Viera always asked to speak to them. Also the season before he left he suffered a lot of niggling injuries that kept him in the sick bay, (Diaby’s predecessor,). As well as, I think Dixon, lee not jailbird Kerry, said that after games the following day he used to rock up in a dreadful state limping or complaining of some game related injury, his powers of recovery were getting longer and longer. So Wenger weighed up the options, they got a good offer from Italy and off he went.
With hindsight I agree with the view that the Arsenal should have hung on to him rather than shooting him off, they did need the money though , at the time! Not to bring him back as a coach was probably an error of judgement on the part of the club, but I think he did carry a bit of baggage and you know Arsene, he likes all his own way, because AKB! And the former captain would almost certainly have challenged Arsene’s ideas and methods he would have been a bit of a destabilising influence! So he stayed with Citeh and their oil wealth! Well, perhaps you can’t blame the Arsenal reject!! Money, wealth and adulation!
I don’t think we shall ever see him on the training field whilst Le Chef is in charge, at least.
Micko, some times I talk sense eh….
I heard something different Wavy, not saying it’s true but….. if it was, it sure explains a lot….
As I said, most of what I heard came from Lee Dixon the day after Paddy was sold to Juve. I wouldn’t guarantee my memory is absolutely accurate but I think I repeated the gist of what was said on Radio 5 live, The Breakfast Show!
The only thing I would add is, Wenger never forgets! And worse perhaps, Wenger never forgives! So….. I’ll leave that thought with you!
Agreed again Rico and Fred…
In my view a midfielder should be a midfielder its only in English-isle football that a player is required to be rigid.
How many times have we watched Redknap/ Souness sit next to the likes of vieira/ keano, Alonso, Seedorf and ‘guff’ that Khedira, Vieira or Keano were defensive midfielders with the same players rebutting ‘they didn’t consider themselves DM but midfielders’…
Paddy at centre-half, too many heart palpitations for me Fred.
rico, know it only speculation but Cech coming in and Ospina going out…..never saw that one coming !
so true wavy…
Arsenal fans are loyal but sometimes I wonder why we are loyal to certain players when the loyalty was never quite reciprocated…
Lol… Micko, is it Paddy playing keep-ups 2 yards from our goal line against barcelona that contributed to us loosing in 1999 that gets you creaming like goonie?
I guess we all have our own theories re Paddy but there has to be a reason he was never welcomed back.. imo anyway…
Micko, me neither, I never thought we’d get a sniff at signing Cech, just hope it comes true…
Loyalty in football Ts, that’s history sadly…
😀 Rico
Ok…I goofed about Ospina’s sign-on fee…still I don’t see Wenger pushing him on.
Vieira…never a DM….an all round footballer with the incredible physique that intimidated opponents at any square on the pitch. At best he was b2b, incredibly attacking, tracking back and defending in equal measure. Scored cracking goals too. The nearest to him, everything of Vieiera considered, is Paul Pogba…strength, energy, skill…and still growing!
Then I heard Vieira was sold because he instigated Ashley Cole to ask for a pay rise…wrong?
If Wenger never forgets some of us are in real trouble 🙂
You can definitely say that again, Joe…
lol Joe. AW is coming for you for all the cack you have been saying about him.. 😉
You too Tai
Ts, AW won’t have anything to forgive me.. for. All articles about him, I only kicked against him one per cent! Lol….
It’s Adam that really has a lot to worry about…..
What me (sheepishly) 🙂
Moi?
I don’t think he’ll every find my rants about us conceding a second goal against Manu this season 😉
lol joe
Evening guys…
Adam, yes you! 😉
Mind you, I think I’ll be in the same naughty corner as Adam…. Lol
Of what am I guilty Rico?
Of course, Rico…I wanted you to say so yourself…
Just jesting Adam. I think many if us are guilty of being critical of AW…..
Tai, but all I have said, I believed at the time… He’s still far from perfect….
Tsgh you will be in more trouble than i am because you should have known better 🙂
Rico stop digging 😉
I’m not Joe – there’s not a spade in sight…. 😉
LoL….. Rico
Believe that Rico and you’ll believe anything!
Always like to raise a smile Joe… 😉
What Tai?
That AW will spare anyone of us…whenever we did hit, we hit very hard…too hard most times…lol.
But he deserved most of what was said, and he will again if he neglects our needs this summer……
Well, I wouldn’t really say he did all the time…hindsight exposed to me that Wenger wasn’t free with enough funds to have appropriately given us the desired signings…as well, he wouldn’t have let the likes of Nasri, RVP, Fabregas leave if it was entirely down to him. We have been dealing with the most principled of men whose love for Arsenal never let him pass the buck.
I did say ‘most’. Financial restrictions were clear but he wasted so much money on dross imo and could have used that money more wisely….
How I always saw it with Wenger was when he was not burdened with stadium debt we won things.
Before the stadium three PL titles and four FA cups plus a CL final after we past the restrictions placed on Arsenal of paying for the stadium we have started winning again.
I’m not convinced it’s as simple as that Joe but we all choose to believe what we do and that will never change….
Most of the players we ended up with those you called dross Rico (and there was a few) may have been due to funds we had at our disposal.
We had to depend on youth players who didn’t make the grade and bought players more to do with what they cost.
I get that Joe, but why waste money on two, when we could have signed better for the cost of one? And to be honest, that happened a lot….
Also, why stand by and pay so many really awful players that the club did through the ‘tough’ times…
Rico I am a very simple man and I wish I had tsgh stats 😉 to make a more convincing argument.
Oh I forgot injuries and my favorite refs 🙂
No such thing as an argument Joe, here it’s called a debate…. Lol
Oh, and throw stats in and I’ll call you a psychiatrist 😉 😉
We all have our views and this will be my last comment on the reasons because hopefully we as a team will move on to bigger and better things.
We ended up with a lot of players that we did not let go was because we had put them on contracts that no one would match as youth players when we thought they would be better players than they turned out.
All mangers make mistakes in regards to players it’s just that during that period Wenger’s mistakes hurt the club more than other top clubs who could afford to move on from those mistakes.
Rico, I’d agree with Joe…Wenger has always been ahead of we fans…he had the patient of a vulture and the tenacity of a well-trained hunting dog. He’s a pro who knows his job and would definitely retire on a high.
Most times we fans overrated the players at our disposal and refused to truly come to terms with real situations that we couldn’t really compete with Chelsea, Man U, Man City for past 10 years…we were truly at par, player-wise, with likes of Spurs and even Everton at times…
However, Le Prof has that thick skin of doing things his own way…he’s equally a humanitarian who wouldn’t take rash decisions in doing away with non-performing players…neither change players in a game however bad his starters are playing until his chosen 75 minutes…
🙂 Joe, I won’t go there re contracts….
That’s fine Tai but I disagree…. Apart from competing with the rich clubs to begin with but the last two summers we had money…..
I’m off guys, chat tomorrow…
Night all…
That’s why we had Ozil and Sanchez…you know Wenger, he doesn’t believe in bringing in more than three starters from previous season…
He’s brought in Gabriel…Coquelin is a gift from the blues…and Wenger knows Arsenal team, despite injuries to Giroud, Walcott, Ozil, Wilshere…that we scored enough goals to have won the title…why we couldn’t is just the goals we let in. If he gets Cech, gets a solid defensive midfielder…and then Gabriel does well in pre-season, Wenger may close shop for the summer.
I’m willing to bet he’s not interested in any striker! Solidify the defensive department and …
I was talking about the past though Tai…. He still have done more last summer because all he really did was improve the squad by one…..
Gone now…
what do you think about England-Portugal u-21 match?
Ok…night Rico
Morning all….
Morning Rico.
Morning Adam, dull and rainy old morning…
It’s quite bright and muggy here Rico. It never actually seemed to get dark last night. Longest day and all that stuff. It was really bright by about 3.30 am. Woke me up early.
I was up too Adam….the lightness of the morning and the fucking peacocks that some inconsiderate tosser has in their garden! They make a really loud noise, I think the air gun may be used if it continues!
Morning all…
Mum would of been 70 today! 🙁
The benefit of blackout blinds Adam… lol
Lovely and cool here at the moment…
Grumpy Lee… lol
🙁 Lee…… Stills hurts eh….
Lee. I’m sorry mate.
New post up now…